Faculty Senate Minutes
for December 1, 1998
PSF 14/98-99

The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Professor Fossum, at 3:35 PM in D137 Molinaro Hall. Members present were F. Akindes, Colston, Duetsch, Fossum, Gellott, Goldsmith, Kavenik, Keating, Kinchen, Lindner, McArthur, McKeever, Moy, New, J. OLsen, Ostheimer, Piele, Richards, R. Rosenberg, Snyder, Stathatos, Stevenson, Wang, Wallner, Warren, and Wright. Also present were D. Cress, R. Hudson, R. Singer, and R. Stolz.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the Senate for November 3, 1998, were approved without objection.

REPORT OF THE CHANCELLOR

The report was deferred to the end of the meeting because Chancellor Keating had not yet arrived.

REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Professor Kavenik had no report.

QUESTIONS

There were no written or oral questions.

NEW BUSINESS

REVISION OF UWPF 6.01

The University Committee recommended approval of the following:

RESOLVED, that UWPF 6.01 be revised, effective Fall 1999, as described in agenda document 1.

Professor Kavenik introduced the proposal, saying the intent was to devise criteria for personnel decisions that will more effectively promote the mission and objectives of the institution. The language of the proposal intentionally blurs the distinctions between teaching, creative/scholarly activity, and service, recognizing that much of the work faculty do cannot be neatly categorized. Professor Hudson reported that the Personnel Review Committee had suggested modifications of an earlier draft of the proposal, that those suggestions had been incorporated into the proposal, and that the Committee now unanimously recommended adoption of the proposal. Dean Cress and Professor Olsen expressed support for the use of multiple measures of teaching effectiveness.

Professor Lindner credited Provost Ostheimer with noting that the word "their" in the first sentence of the proposal should be changed to "her/his." Professor Lindner then MOVED TO AMEND the second sentence in the section describing the evaluation of teaching (SECONDED by Professor Rosenberg) to read:

Evidence of teaching effectiveness must include student course evaluations and may include other indicators of student learning appropriate to the discipline.

Professor Duetsch pointed out that the group that drafted the proposal had deliberately not referred to student evaluations as an indicator of student learning. Professor Rosenberg described this section of the proposed criteria as being more complex and less clear than the current criteria.

MOTION TO AMEND FAILED by a show of hands, with 9 in favor and 9 against.

Dean Cress observed that the word "or" in the first sentence of the proposal allowed the possibility that a person could be evaluated solely on their likely future contributions. Professor McArthur then MOVED TO AMEND by deleting the word "or" from that sentence (SECONDED by Professor Gellott).

MOTION TO AMEND APPROVED by a unanimous show of hands.

Professor Rosenberg suggested that the record should show that, like research, the teaching and/or service performance of an individual may be evaluated through external reviews when that is appropriate. Professor Wang asked whether the proposal allowed the department to determine what should be evaluated externally. The Chair assured him that that was the intention. Dean Stolz asked whether the proposal allowed the department to determine its own indicators of performance. He too was assured that that was the intention.

Professor Stathatos MOVED TO AMEND the proposal by adding the section "(6) Weighting of Criteria" from the current policy (SECONDED by Professor Snyder). Professor Lindner MOVED TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT by placing the words "and scholarly" between the words "creative activity" and by replacing the words "special consideration" with the words "primary importance" (SECONDED by Professor Warren).

MOTION TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT APPROVED by voice vote.

MOTION TO AMEND APPROVED by voice vote.

Dean Cress questioned whether the word "and" in the first sentence of the section describing the evaluation of programmatic considerations should be changed to "or." Chancellor Keating and Professor Snyder argued that it should not be. Professor Snyder argued that the section "(5) Programmatic Considerations" should only be invoked in renewal cases. Provost Ostheimer agreed and felt that the current language brought that result. Dean Cress asked whether section (5) would cover a situation in which inadequate enrollment was at issue. Provost Ostheimer felt that it would. Professor Stathatos called for the question.

MOTION APPROVED by a show of hands, with 15 in favor and 4 against.

REVISION OF UWPF 6.06

The University Committee recommended approval of the following:

RESOLVED, that UWPF 6.06 be revised, effective Fall 1999, as described in agenda document 2.

Professor Kavenik explained that the changes presented here were suggested by an Ad Hoc Committee on Hearing and Appeals Procedures that was formed last year by the Univerity Committee. Professor Duetsch apologized for the omission of redlining and stikeouts in the agenda document. He explained that, if the resolution is approved, the section "(3) Procedures for Notification" would be changed to require that the Secretary of the Faculty also be notified if a probationary appointment is not to be renewed. If approved, the section "(5) Provision for Reconsideration" would be entirely new.

MOTION APPROVED by a show of hands, with 20 in favor and 0 against.

REVISION OF ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS POLICY

The Academic Policies Committee recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that the Academic Forgiveness Policy be revised, effective Fall 1999, as described in agenda document 3.

With no member of the Committee present to explain the proposed revisions, Professor Snyder MOVED TO TABLE (SECONDED by Professor McKeever).

MOTION TO TABLE APPROVED by a voice vote.

REVISION OF GRADE APPEALS PROCEDURE

The Academic Policies Committee recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that the Grade Appeals Procedure be revised, effective Fall 1999, as described in agenda document 4.

Dean Cress explained that he had asked the Academic Policies Committee to consider revision of the current policy because he had found the policy to be especially awkward when the grade being appealed was given by the department chair. He also expressed his belief that the process should include the right to an appeal outside the department.

Professor Warren MOVED TO AMEND the proposal by replacing the word "direct" with the word "recommend" in section 4 (SECONDED by Professor Lindner). Professor Rosenberg MOVED TO TABLE the proposal (SECONDED by Professor Kavenik).

MOTION TO TABLE APPROVED by a voice vote.

REPORT OF THE CHANCELLOR

Chancellor Keating announced that Charlotte Westerhaus has resigned from her position as Assistant to the Chancellor for Equity and Diversity in order to accept the position of Director of Affirmative Action and Equity at Purdue University. He also announced that Shirley Mandernack, the Assistant to the Chancellor, has decided to retire later this month.

The Chancellor touched on a variety of other subjects. He indicated that recommendations contained in the Stamats Report are being evaluated and that the next steps to be taken will be determined soon. When that has been done, he will begin courting partners who wish to work with the campus on implementation. He reported that the proposal he has developed to redirect $750,000 to strengthen programs and increase enrollment seems to have been received well. Advertising we are now doing seems to be effective and he remains optimistic about reaching our enrollment target. He added that he has become involved in discussion of K-12 issues with people from Sustainable Racine. He feels that newspaper coverage of the campus has been quite good in recent months and said that he has been impressed by a video that was recently been made about UW-Parkside graduates who are employed at SC Johnson. Finally, he asked that any suggestions regarding additional 30th year activities be sent to Professor Greenfield or to the Chancellor's office.

On behalf of the University Committee, Professor Fossum wished the senators a Happy New Year and the meeting adjourned at 5:00.